Other Names:

Common Thyme, German Thyme, Garden Thyme

Benefits

Antioxidant

Antibacterial

Insect-repellent

Antiseptic

Antihelminthic

Antifungal

Insect-repellent

Antigout

Thyme

Thymus vulgaris

Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is an everygreen herb from the mint family. It has been used for culinary, medicinal, ornamental and folk medicine uses in a variety of different cultures. Thyme is used in fresh and dried form, a whole sprig (a single stem snipped from the plant), and as an essential oil extracted from the plant parts. Volatile oils of thyme are among the main essential oils used in the food industry and in cosmetics as preservatives and antioxidants.

Thyme oil contains important bioactive chemicals which include:

Thymol

P-cymene

Myrcene

Borneol

Linalool

Aroma
Thyme has an herbaceous and slightly floral aroma. It loses its aroma quickly with heat.

Antioxidant
Thyme oil shows potential for improvement of intestinal barrier integrity, antioxidant status as well as evoking an immune response in chickens.

Antibacterial
Thyme oil (1 g/kg) proved to be effective in reducing Coliform counts when it was used to create a spray for the purpose of hygiene improvement.